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Las Cruces man accused of molesting young girl for five years

Las Cruces Sun-News

Posted:
03/06/2014 04:32:21 PM MST

Fernando Moralez Muñoz

LAS CRUCES >> Police have arrested a Las Cruces man suspected of molesting a young girl for roughly five years.

Fernando Moralez Muñoz, 33, is charged with 30 first-degree felony counts of criminal sexual penetration of a minor, according to a news release. Muñoz also faces one count of criminal sexual contact of a minor, a second-degree felony, and one fourth-degree felony count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Shortly after 8 p.m. Wednesday a Las Cruces police officer was flagged down by a woman who said that her teenage daughter just disclosed to her the crimes. Muñoz and the girl's mother are related, the release states.

Las Cruces police detectives interviewed the girl and learned that Muñoz began molesting her about five years ago, before she was a teenager. Detectives learned that over the years Muñoz threatened the girl or otherwise persuaded her not to tell anyone about the alleged sexual abuse.

Sometime after 6 p.m. on Thursday Muñoz asked the girl to accompany him to purchase water. After purchasing water Muñoz is alleged to have driven to a nearby park where he asked the girl for sex, but she refused his advances.

Shortly after returning home the girl asked to speak with her mother. As they drove away from the residence, the girl disclosed to her mother that Muñoz had been molesting her for around five years.

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Muñoz was arrested early Thursday morning and is being held at the Doña Ana County Detention Center on a $250,000 cash-only bond.

He does not have a previous criminal record, according to a search of the New Mexico courts website.